The present invention generally relates to automatic tape loading type recording and/or reproducing apparatuses, and more particularly to an automatic tape loading type recording and/or reproducing apparatus which is capable of carrying out a so-called reverse reproduction in which a tape moves in a reverse direction along a path in which the tape is loaded.
Recently, the use of a recording and/or reproducing apparatus has become popular. In the popular recording and/or reproducing apparatus, a tape is drawn out of a tape cassette which is loaded in the apparatus, and is then loaded in a predetermined path so as to make contact with a guide drum. A signal is recorded on or reproduced from the tape which is in this predetermined path, in a state where the tape is moved in a forward direction. In the above apparatus, the tape is automatically loaded in the predetermined path, and for this reason, the apparatus is referred to as an automatic tape loading type recording and/or reproducing apparatus. In addition to carrying out normal recording and reproducing operations in which the tape is moved in the forward direction along the predetermined path, some of the automatic tape loading type recording and/or reproducing apparatuses are designed to also carry out a reverse reproducing operation in which the tape is moved in a reverse direction along the predetermined path. When the tape is moved in the reverse direction along the predetermined path, a supply reel disc for rotating a supply reel of the tape cassette is rotated in a tape take-up direction so as to take-up the tape. In this state, it becomes necessary to cancel the braking with respect to the supply reel disc, which braking is originally applied to the supply reel disc to control the tension in the tape, mainly for the purpose of reducing the rotational resistance of the supply reel disc. Conventionally, a plunger was used for cancelling this braking with respect to the supply reel disc. However, the use of the plunger introduced a limit to the reduction of the overall size and weight of the apparatus.